Shannon's mother charged with kidnap

The mother of Shannon Matthews, the schoolgirl whose disappearance for 24 days led to a nationwide hunt in February, was charged yesterday with kidnapping and falsely imprisoning her daughter.

Karen Matthews, 32, pleaded not guilty at a brief hearing at Leeds crown court, where she appeared beside Michael Donovan, 40, who was charged in March with the kidnap, which he also denies. Both were remanded in custody by the judge, Peter Collier QC, the Recorder of Leeds. The trial is scheduled for November 11.

The joint appearance is the first since the pair were arrested in March, after nine-year-old Shannon was found alive in the drawer of a bed less than a mile from her home in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.

She had vanished after a swimming trip from Westmoor junior school, prompting a search by hundreds of police officers. Neighbours also joined in.

Matthews and Donovan also pleaded not guilty to charges of perverting the course of justice, which were originally made in March. Matthews also denied a fourth charge, of child neglect, also made in March.

She spoke in a clear voice, staring straight ahead and separated from Donovan by an empty chair. His answers to the court clerk were scarcely audible, as he too looked straight at the bench. Three women court officers escorted the pair into the dock. Matthews, of Dewsbury Moor, on the edge of Dewsbury, sat with folded arms saying nothing as lawyers discussed procedural matters for most of the 45-minute hearing.

The joint kidnap charge alleged that Donovan and Matthews "unlawfully and by force or fraud took or carried away Shannon Matthews against her will" between February 18 and 19 this year. The false imprisonment charge alleged that both were responsible for detaining Shannon against her will until March 14 .

Donovan, also of Dewsbury, was arrested on March 14 after the child was found in a house in nearby Batley Carr. He was formerly known as Paul Drake and is the uncle of Shannon's stepfather, Craig Meehan.